1. Field of the Invention
The invention in general relates to electromechanical switches of the type having lighted indicia indicating the switch setting and more particularly to such a switch that is actuated by a member which slides in a housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to encapsulate a button type electrical switch in a housing made of a light guide material which serves to carry light to indicia indicating the setting or function of the switch. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,288,672 issued to Richard E. Puccini, 4,449,024 issued to Steve W. Stracener, and 3,755,661 issued to Andre Maurice Bouvrande. The Puccini patent also disclosed that the switch may be encapsulated in a housing chamber having an open end and a bearing surface, that the open end may be closed with a circuit board which forms part of the switch, and that the button portion of the switch may slide in the bearing surface. However, for more complex switches, such as slide switches, the switch mechanism has generally been enclosed in a separate switch housing, the light guide material has been inserted between the housing and the indicia to be lighted and a lever passed through the light guide material to the switch housing. See for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/185,353. The more complicated switches present several problems relating to the proper movement of switch parts in the light guide and the need to prevent light from escaping from the light guide at undesirable locations which the present invention addresses.